Adjustments
by Hartanna
Summary: Undergoing MAJOR construction. Don't bother reading. I haven't re-published anything.
1. Prologue

Do yourself a favor and don't fucking read this yet.

This notice will be removed as soon as I'm done rewriting and reposting these god awful chapters. Seriously, it's shit. Pardon my French.

/

A hard sandal ground itself into the small of Ichigo's back while a hand yanked roughly on his long, orange hair, pulling his head back. His bare chest scraped against the bark of the tree, and after a bit of struggling he soon realized his writhing only made the situation worse, as it caused him more harm than anyone else. A sigh escaped his throat, which soon built a hiss, growing louder and louder in pitch. His wrists were bound behind his back by silver cuffs, burning and chafing his skin, turning it a deep crimson color. A flare of hunger and madness glinted in his golden eyes, and it took all of his might not to turn around and attack the shinigami holding him in place.

Ichigo closed his eyes and suppressed a shudder when he heard the man's heartbeat steadily increase. The substance running through his veins, thick, nutritious, delectable, and sweet, lured out his insanity. A warm hand rested on his shoulder, and a gentle, soothing voice whispered in his ear. "Please, Ichigo. For me, be still. I know…" A sob, "I know what's happening… to you… so please… don't…"

"Rukia." A calm voice chimed in. Immediately her sobs were cut off, but after a few moments a wail even louder erupted from her, shaking her whole frame, and she threw herself into Byakuya's arms, wrapping her arms around his waist, desperately seeking comfort. Byakuya was reluctant to respond to this show of wild emotion and the only thing he could do at that moment was wrap his arms around her torso. Tears bled into his clothes, but he seemed not to notice. Instead, he stroked his younger sister's black hair with soothing hands. She relaxed a bit at his touch. "Renji."

The red headed man tugged even harder on Ichigo's hair, which was so long he had to coil it around his arm. "Yes sir?"

"When we get back, alert Captain Yamamoto of the situation. Tell him that Ichigo Kurosaki has been apprehended and to call off the search party."

Ichigo snarled at the thought of returning to that wretched place, surrounded by morons who were so blissfully unaware of the events unfolding right before their eyes. The clouds hovering over the moon were swept away by a gently breeze, allowing the full moon's bright light to shine down upon the small group. His fangs flashed wickedly, and he struggled once more. The bark dug into his flesh, opening his fresh wounds. The blood leaked onto the ground, awakening the thirst that was already dully roaring in his throat.

Blood. Blood. BLOOD. Good God, he wanted it so bad. There was so much of it. It didn't help that everyone around him at the current time was bleeding from their recent battle.

There was Rukia, Byakuya, Renji, Captain Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, and off to the side was Shuuhei, who was too busy nursing a deep wound on his arm to care about what was going on.

Ichigo snarled again, this time thicker and more animalistic, making half of the people there flinch. Rukia whimpered, and this weakness made him smile a bit. For a brief moment he pictured clamping his jaws around her throat, draining her of her essence until there was nothing left but a shriveled up husk. He shook his head sharply, frantically thinking of anything that would keep him sane for the time being. But his stomach growled, alerting him once more to his hunger. Black steadily began to creep into his sclera, and he began to pant with need.

A bright white light lit up the darkness of the night, and double doors slid open. Ichigo dug his heels into the ground when he felt himself being tugged nearer and neared to these doors. "Come on!" Renji growled. "Damned vampire! MOVE!"

"Renji, please!" Rukia wailed, clutching at Byakuya's clothing. Her violet eyes were red from crying, but everyone tried their best to ignore that helpless look that was so clearly on her face.

"Rukia," Ichigo pleaded deceitfully. "Help me."

Color drained from her face, and she detached herself from Byakuya. In one swift movement she'd shunpoed over to Ichigo. No one had noticed until her face was inches from hers. "Let him go, Renji! Let him go!" She latched onto Ichigo's arm and resumed sobbing.

Renji turned back around, one foot through the doorway with complete shock on his face. "Wha-"

Matsumoto yelped and attempted to shunpo forward with the incredible speed Rukia had displayed, but Ichigo was far faster.

With a maniacal smile and salivating mouth, his head shot forward and his lips pressed against the softness of her neck. She squeaked. His fangs grazed across her pale flesh, and had it not been for the sharp tug on his head, his fangs would have already been plunged into her delicate being. Matsumoto gave him a sharp slap across the face, and the two vice captain's managed to get Ichigo through the glowing doorway.

"Ichigo, Ichigo, Ichigo!" Rukia chanted, collapsing to the ground with her head in her hands. In a moment Byakuya had her scooped up into his thick arms, like a mother holding her child, and opened a doorway of his own. Everyone else trailed in behind him, heads hung low, blood matting their hair, and as seconds ticked steadily by, the door eventually closed, ridding the mortal world of its foreign presence.


	2. Memories

Forgot to add this to the last chapter, but as that document is on my dad's computer (which I seriously hope he doesn't read) I can't edit it right now, or any time soon. So DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters, blah blah blah. Please, you guys all know this. I was inspired to write this after reading both Hellsing and Bleach fanfics. I really don't know where this is going, but I'm planning, planning, planning.

~.:/*\:.~

The only things keeping him awake after he felt the sharp pain on the back of his head was the strong scent of blood hanging in the air around him, and the awkward feeling of being dragged. Drifting in and out of consciousness, he opened his eyes a little wider and listened to the dull thrum of heartbeats.

A gentle breeze caressed his face, blowing strands of orange out of his sight. His arms felt terribly sore, but compared to the raging burning in his throat, it was just like a minor flick between the soldier blades. His eyes came to rest upon the starry night sky. A crescent moon illuminated his pale features, making his skin seem all the more white. Running his tongue over his elongated fangs, he struggled desperately to recall the previous events.

Without warning, a flood of memories invaded his mind.

~.:/*\:.~

Over the past couple of months, it had been almost impossible not to notice the incredible length Ichigo's hair had grown to. Having long surpassed Orihime's own in splendor, it swayed gently at his waist, kept into a low ponytail. For whatever reason, he'd been unwilling to cut it. Oddly, it felt more natural.

Another noticeable change in his was his sleeping pattern. It was normal for the teen to sleep during class, considering he spent most of his nights staying up to hunt the hollows that preyed mercilessly on human souls, but at this point, it had just become ridiculous. Not even the teacher slamming his ruler on his desk or screaming in his ear could wake him up. Chad, by accident, had discovered that it took shoving Ichigo out of his chair to awake him.

Now today, with his bag slung over his shoulder and an indifferent scowl plastered permanently on his face, he walked home from school. Dark heavy bags were clear under his eyes, and it was Orihime that kept him standing. "Um… you know," She began. "Shouldn't you go see a doctor, or a counselor? This can't be healthy for you, Ichigo."

The only response she received was a humorless smirk. "I highly doubt a counselor would be able to help with my kind of problems."

A blush crept on to her face, and she turned away to hide it. Faking a giggle, she smiled. "Oops. That's right. Sorry."

The sun slid down, lower and lower, until the sky had turned a calming shade of violet. Now in winter, they'd gotten used to the sun setting earlier, and by now Ichigo was able to pick himself up and walk on his own. Feigning weakness right alongside him, she found it to be necessary to lean on his shoulder for unneeded support. He glanced down at the ginger, but said nothing.

They stopped in front of Orihime's house, and she was one step through the door before she turned around and squared her shoulders, firming her jaw.

Ichigo stared at her quizzically.

"I'm… I'm going to give you the number to my counselor."

Ichigo was already starting to walk away, though he was smiling, amused. "Really, Orihime, I don't-"

"He was really nice to me when I lost my brother!" She hastily began digging through her bag as she spoke those words. "I just need a paper and a pen. Hold on one sec, okay?"

"Really, it's-" Ichigo froze midsentence and clamped his mouth shut, grinding his teeth together. His amber orbs brightened into a dazzling gold, and the grip on his backpack tightened.

Orihime had paused as well. Cradling her forefinger with her other hand, she stared at her paper cut as it began to ooze blood. "Neh. Gross!" She squealed, and then jumped when Ichigo suddenly appeared before her. "Eh… sorry." She chuckled. "I guess I need to go get a Band-Aid. You can come in if you want. OOH! Even better, you can join Rukia and Renji and me for dinner. I invited them over last week, but they didn't seem so… Ichigo?"

He roughly grabbed her wrist and stared at her wound as if it was holding all of the answers to the life's mysteries. Scratch that. He was staring at it as if it was life itself.

He closed his eyes and brought her hand to his lips, and Orihime couldn't help but notice the drool starting to seep from the corner of his mouth. She shuddered. "Eh, ah… Ichigo?" She repeated, a bit more hesitantly.

He slipped her finger inside his mouth and hummed with pleasure when her sweet blood touched his tongue. Before either of them knew it, he was sucking out more and more.

"H-Hey Ichigo! Stop it! G-Get off of me! Ooh!" Orihime squeaked, trying to yank her wrist free from his grasp, but his grip was stronger than her will. Eventually, his painful nips made their way up to her neck. Orihime was unable to tell if this was his way of trying to get intimate, but as her thoughts began to swim with past fantasies, it became her conclusion. Backing up slowly, trying to make him feel more comfortable, she buried her fingers into his luscious hair and kicked the door shut. Dinner… could definitely wait.

Ichigo was smiling gleefully under her jaw. The throbbing in his gums ceased to exist when two fangs shot out. Orihime was grinning right along with him, blissfully unaware of the dangerous situation she was in.

Until it was too late.

She gasped when pain invaded her senses, muddling her mind. She released a soundless scream.

He'd been her. Ichigo swallowed mouthful after mouthful of the crimson substance, feeling it trickle down off of his chin. Hot blood ran down his throat, quenching the thirst he thought was insatiable. More. More. MORE. All he wanted was more. He bit down harder, listening to the delightful squelch of her skin breaking. He giggled, but it came out more as a guttural growl.

Orihime's arms hung limply by her sides, her eyes having lost that lively shine only to be replaced by a watery, lifeless gaze.

One last blink.

One silent tear.

One final sigh.

~.:/*\:.~

Mm? Whatcha think? I'll continue with the memory in the next chapter. I'll update as much as I can, but you know with school and FINALS this week (bleh) I'll still try my best. Reviews are loved! I don't mind flames.

SO… I shall see you next time. Farewell… *bows*

…

Teehee.


	3. Truth

Okay, so I have finally decided it is time to put up another chapter. I was thinking of so many things that could go down with it, and it was just too much. So… I'm just going to "sum" up the last of his memory. *shamed* OH! And in the last chapter, when it said "he'd been her," that is supposed to say he'd bitten her. But as I am new to this publishing stuff, I'll try to have it fixed once I figure out how to do it. Also, what are those doors called? You know the ones that lead to the Rukongai district and the Seireitei? Also, I wanted this to be longer, but I'm not feeling sane enough to do that right now. I'm getting distracted by the dumbest things. Disclaimer: I clearly don't own Bleach.

But… I want you guys to listen to Massacre by Escape the Fate. Get past the first verse PLEASE, and just wait for the chorus. *angels singing* Warning: Tis minor screamo (but not the chorus- which is my favorite part).

~.:/*\:.~

From then, it had all gone downhill. Rukia and Renji had arrived, only to find the chilled corpse of a precious friend, Orihime Inoue. Ichigo had never thought too much of Inoue's and Renji's relationship, but it seemed they'd been closer than either of them had been willing to let on. The redhead had gone berserk, drawing his zanpakutou and lashing out at him in an instant. With unnaturally quick movements in his human flesh, he'd swiftly dodged his friend's attacks, but Renji's bloodlust was too hard to ignore.

The man hadn't even asked what had happened. It was the blood on Ichigo's face, his mad eyes, and wicked fangs that had given him away.

Rukia, confident enough in Renji's skills to leave him alone for a few moments, fled back to the Seireitei and retrieved reinforcements. When they had returned, they had discovered Ichigo was clearly not in the right state of mind. The house was practically destroyed, and the two opponents were flitting down the street, farther and farther away from them. Ichigo' tongue was lolling out with saliva dripping from his lips, and his eyes held such an unnatural predatory glow that it had forced them to stumble back for a moment. Captain Hitsugaya especially was thrown off.

Byakuya had stepped forward, that cool, calm gaze never wavering from his target. Senbonzakura dissolved into small pink petals and were thrown towards Ichigo, but with a wave of his pale hand, they were dispelled, and his insanely sharp grin was turned on him.

Eventually, after multiple hit and runs, the group shunpoed to a less public place. The park. How typical. But it would certainly have to do, considering how there was no one there at this time of night, and naturally, with such a heavy amount of blood leaking off of each of them, Ichigo followed all too willingly. His screeches of joy as their blood splattered into his mouth with each wound he inflicted sent shivers down their spine. What had become of Ichigo, who used to be so dedicated to protecting the innocent? Now it was the blood of innocents he yearned for.

Eventually they were able to hammer down Ichigo, but it proved to be more of a challenge than anyone could have ever imagined. But the calmest one out of them all was Byakuya Kuchiki. He was prepared, and did not seem to be shocked at all. Rather, he predicted Ichigo's attacks, dodging the majority of them quite easily. Was it weird that he had such perfect equipment for this? Oh yes. Was it even stranger when he and Renji tackled Ichigo, pinned him to a tree, and cuffed him with silver? Even more so. No one even knew where or when he'd even gotten the cuffs.

"I hate vampires." He murmured casually.

~.:/*\:.~

Present.

And that was the last of it. It was as if a door had been slammed shut in his brain as he recalled his memories, and he gasped, desperate to catch his breath as the shock hit him. He killed Orihime. He attacked Renji. He attacked Rukia. He drank blood. What was worse, he loved it.

Damn. He was a vampire.

He ground his teeth together and squeezed his eyes shut. It couldn't be true, but there were the facts, staring him straight in the face. It was a hard thing to deny when it was so utterly true. Damn it all.

He fell asleep once more with those three words echoing in his head.

~.:/*\:.~

Sorry. That really wasn't awesome… but I'm trying to get back into the story. I forgot about it and this chapter was me trying to get back into the flow of writing… typing… whatever. I'll try to make the next one better.


	4. Imprisoned

So… hey! Here's me, the putter-offer-of-stories. But I've decided I REALLY should update again. I never realized that when you actually start a story on fanfic, you need to stick with it. I can't be rude! There are people waiting! So here's my bizchiz. I'm pretty sure I've made it longer than previous chapter… I hope so anyway, I didn't count the words, you see.

I don't own Bleach… but… seriously, listen to Escape the Fate. ;D

~.:/*\:.~

Darkness.

He couldn't see anything. There was a rough cloth wrapped around his head, covering his eyes. He blinked once and felt his eyelashes brush against the thick material. Squinting, he tried to his best to see through it, but the only thing he got in return was bitter disappointment. He may as well have been blind.

The air around him was cold and damp, and his suspicion that he was in a tunnel or a tight space of the like was confirmed once he noticed the footsteps echoing. Based on these noises he could also tell that there were other people around him, aside from the two that were holding his arms. Three more. He sighed and felt air hit his dry throat.

Right. He _had_ lost a lot of blood while he was fighting. While fighting his friends.

Because he'd killed Orihime.

The pain of that was too unbearable. Ichigo's eyes began to water and he desperately and successfully blinked the tears away. Those were thoughts he could not dwell on in a situation like this. Clearing his mind, he relaxed and allowed the shinigamis to guide him down the twisting corridors. With time, he came to realize their footsteps gradually getting louder. Were they bringing him _all_ the way to the end of the tunnel?

Their pace slowed for a bit, and then they came to a halt. There was a brief moment where the sound of keys jingling and a lock clicking could be heard before Ichigo was shoved into a small room. He stumbled, but caught himself by slapping his hands against the wall. It was cold, rough… but… now it was burning. His hands were burning. He drew his hands away, quickly stifling a hiss.

"Come here." A familiar voice growled.

"Zaraki?" Ichigo mumbled.

"Come _here_." He repeated.

Blindly, Ichigo shuffled toward his voice.  
"Closer."

And he took two more steps before a felt a hand slam against his forehead, grab the blindfold, and yank it over his head. Ichigo tensed and shut his eyes, but after a few seconds he relaxed and opened them again.

There he was, Kenpachi glaring at him, Renji holding a torch, though looking away, and three other unseated shinigamis whom he had never met before. He looked around briefly. He was on the other side of the bars, alone in a small cell with gray stone walls, no bed, and no furniture. Not even a bathroom.

"Turn around." Zaraki ordered, and Ichigo obeyed. The cuffs around his wrists were removed, and he heaved a short sigh of relief.

"Kurosaki." Ichigo turned back around and began rubbing his chafed, burned skin. He cocked a single eyebrow and waited for his next words. "I used to have respect for you." Now the gruff man smiled and chuckled. "Now you're just in for a shitload of trouble."

Ichigo paused and looked him in the eye, and the captains' smile melted away immediately. "Don't you look at me with those eyes, punk."

Confused, Ichigo looked at Renji, who reluctantly spoke up. "Your eyes… they're red, Ichigo." The five walked away then, leaving him alone in an oddly comforting darkness.

"Ah!" A small voice squeaked.

"Yes," A deeper voice huffed. "We all know, Celia."

"Oooh… it's been so long!" The little girl piped again. "How long, Tyler? How long?"

"How the heck should I know?"

"Uh… because you were the last one to come! Duh!" Celia giggled.

There was quiet for a few seconds before Tyler spoke again. "153."

Ichigo cleared his throat and wrapped his hands around the bars, but after a while that started to burn as well, so he backed up and sat in the middle of his confined space. "Hello?"

"Hi, stranger!" Celia chirped. Tyler did not respond.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and fidgeted awkwardly on the ground. "Where is this place?"

"Hell." A new voice, feminine, gentle and soft whispered.

"Ignore Nabrina," Tyler grumbled. "She's just a downer."

"But she had good reason to be!" Celia yelped. "578. What a depressing number…"

"You've been in here for over a year?" Ichigo asked sympathetically.

He heard someone snort, and before he knew it, everyone except Nabrina was laughing hysterically. "A year! A year!" Celia sang.

Tyler controlled his laughter and rubbed his cheeks. "Kid, you're funny. No, it's not 578 _days. _It's 578 _years._"

Celia was still laughing, but Ichigo was quiet. "I… don't understand." He muttered.

"I know. I've been in here for 153 years, and I still don't know what they're keeping us here for." Tyler responded angrily.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! What's your name, stranger?"

"That big guy and the dude with the pineapple head just said it, smart one." Tyler again.

"Ooooh! Did they?"

"It's Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Mine is Tyler Rentiet."

"And I'm Celia Rentiet!"

"So you're siblings?"

"No," Tyler harrumphed. "She forgot hers, so she took up my last name."

"Ha a nice ring to it, yes?" Celia clapped.

Ichigo nodded his head, but then remembered that no one could see him. Pethaps they had seen _him_ as he passed by their cells. It was weird, all of the cells were on one side of the hall.

"Are we ever allowed to get out?" He asked.

"Hmph. If you ever do get out, it's never for a good reason. You're either leaving because that psycho, Mayuri, wants to test you, or you're being punished." Tylers voice deepened when he spoke those last words, and Ichigo could almost imagine him flinching.

"What could you possibly do wrong in a place like this?"

"Fight Mayuri, which isn't the wisest of decisions. Bite someone. Ignore orders."

"Or in Tyler's case, throw blood at a captain!" Celia rejoiced.

Tyler growled. "Yes… yes, that too. Anyway, just don't do any of that. Depending on what you did, you either won't be fed for a while, they cut themselves right in front of you, though that's torture for everyone, or you're tied up outside in the sun for a couple of hours. I'm sure there's more, but I've never been willing to see how far they'd go."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and scratched his chin. "What's so ad about the sun?"

Nabrina spoke up once again. "I see. You've only just awakened. I guess you've already spazzed on someone, then. That's how we were all caught in our younger days. We went too wild and they found us. That's the only time any of us have tasted human blood, except for when—"

"Let him figure it out for himself, Nina." Tyler interrupted.

Nabrina sighed and did not speak again.

Ichigo scratched his head in irritation. It was clear that even if he pressed as hard as he could, there was no way a girl like her would continue. What a depressing person. Maybe Celia would tell him. She was one heck of a talker. "Hey, Celia—"

"Shut up." She snarled.

"He's coming. Two minutes away. Lay down and shut up." Tyler warned.

"Who?" Ichigo asked, but he received no response. The silence stretched on, and it was then that he heard the footsteps. One person. Reluctantly, he laid down on his side and tucked a hand under his face. Oddly enough, it was comfortable. He closed his eyes when his orange hair started to fall into his face. He hadn't noticed it before, but he was ridiculously tired. His breath became…

He realized something else now too. The whole time he'd been here, he hadn't breathed at all.

He wasn't breathing.

Ichigo suppressed a shudder. This was normal. Normal. Normal. After a few times chanting that word in his head, he calmed down. This was just the life he was living now and whether he liked it or not, he had to get used to it sometime.

The footsteps drew closer, but Ichigo was just trying to sleep then more than anything. A small light shone through his eyelids, but it wasn't bright enough to concern him. He just wanted it off again. A creepy voice killed the silence. "Ah… Nabrina, you always look so delightful when you pretend to sleep. _Now _I see those eyes! Show me a smile…"Several seconds ticked by. "Nabrina," Mayuri said more seriously. "I believe I told you to smile. Oh. Still sharp after all these years." He shuffled to the next cell. "Celia! Teeth. Good. Tyler. Depressing as always. Fangs. Sharp." Then there was a deep chuckle and the slide of his sandals against the stone floor, and he smiled down at Ichigo.

"Ichigo Kurosaki."


	5. Burn

Hello again! This update was speedier than even I expected! I don't have too many followers… but the ones that do follow it know that I take forever to update. Oh teehee. Well, I'm about to start typing while listening to "Hey there Mr. Brooks." Let's hope I don't get too distracted. I've been tossing some ideas around in my head, but I don't want to rush them. Okay here I go! By the way, I'm in a rush so I didn't check spelling. Sorry!

And I don't own bleach~

~.:/*\:.~

"Mayuri." Ichigo responded dryly.

"Hush, I did not tell you to speak. Now smile."

Ichigo opened his eyes slowly, but didn't raise his head. His scowl was never changing. His eyes met the ugly yellow of the scientists. Instead of lashing out like he'd expected him to, the captain leaned forward slowly and cocked his head to the side. "Such a bright red. They look like they're glowing. You'll be an interesting subject, Kurosaki. At long last you are mine. O hoo hoho."

Ichigo glared at him with all of the hate he could muster, but even that was not enough.

"Now, now. Don't think you can look at me like that so freely like you used to. If I don't teach you a lesson now, how will you ever learn?" Ichigo's frown deepened. "Is that how it's going to be? Hoo hoo hoo. You'll be a fun, undoubtedly." He withdrew his zanpakutou, Ashisogi Jizō , from its scabbard and let the tip gently touch the ground before sheathing it again. From the spot where the sword had touched the ground, a blue and white mist formed.

Ichigo stared it curiously as it snaked across the floor, hovering over cracks in the stones. To back down now would simply be showing weakness. A stubborn will would show something else, no matter how foolish it may be. As it crept closer he looked up again to see Mayuri's expression. That creeps grin was still plastered across his painted face.

He sighed, puffing orange hair away from his face, though it settled back down almost immediately. He tried not to panic when he felt his legs turning numb, even when he couldn't feel his torso and arms. It didn't take long for him to lose feeling throughout his body either. His eyes widened slightly, but that was the only reaction he dared show. Not that there was much else he could do.

Mayuri unlocked the door and stepped through. Ichigo closed his eyes when the man's clammy hand wrapped around his wrist and began dragging him out of the cell, his back scraping against the cold ground. He'd feel that later, for sure. He opened his eyes again when they had gone into a more open space. His head twisted to the right in a very odd way, but at least now he would get to see the others.

Tyler was sitting up in the middle of his cell. His hair was long, at least down to his shoulder blades, black, tangled, and at least half of his face was covered it, obscuring one red eye. It was strange, but he looked no older than nineteen. He was lean, but also very thin. The only thing that Ichigo could assume was that he was working out despite how malnourished he was. And he was dragged past the next cell.

Celia was a wild looking child. Her red eyes were crazed, and her dark brown hair stuck out in all directions and pooled on her thighs. Frail and pale, she sat with legs crossed, rocking back and forth. She looked twelve at most, and she waved joyously as he was dragged by.

Nabrina was worse than he expected. She was the very image of misery. With flaming red hair, he would have expected her to be somewhat enthusiastic, but instead she was laying on her side on the floor, her red eyes downcast and dull. The only motion she made was twirling her hair around her finger before she tossed it over her shoulder and, oily and unclean, it slapped behind her knees. She looked up very slowly, gave a look of empathy, and looked back down.

"Stupid kid." Tyler muttered.

If Mayuri _did _hear what Tyler said he pretended not to notice. "I don't like you, Kurosaki." The man muttered. "I will take every opportunity I have to make you suffer. Look at Nabrina. She was a proud girl, more so than you. Hoo hoo hoo, and I'll break you just like I broke her. But I would have never imagined that someone like you would become the fourth know vampire in existence. It's just lucky we know you so well."

"Oh! And about your punishment," he continued to ramble. Was he just doing this to hear his own voice? "I think I'm just going to have you burn. It's too early to start tempting you; I have to starve you first. But I will figure out how you four became vampires… naturally. I'm the only one who could ever figure it out. Perhaps you will show signs. The poison should be wearing off soon. Can you feel it, Ichigo?"

Yes, he could feel it wearing off in his toes, but he'd rather have the discolored captain shut his mouth for a little bit. Mayuri was quite for a while, and he chuckled as they approached the end of the tunnel. There were voices up ahead, and Ichigo saw people occupying cells more frequently. They looked rough and mean, so it was likely that they were in here for a good reason. But his only question was why they were in a lab?

They glanced at him, assuming he was just the prisoner who'd been brought in with the suspicious amount of guards earlier, but then they did a double take at his piercing red eyes, and they scrambled to the back of their cells. Why were they afraid?

It was an emotion that had him imagining delightfully gruesome things. He tried to think of anything else, but his thoughts kept flying back to the gore, and it had his mouth watering. Ichigo's hand twitched, for a moment twisting into a claw, but it relaxed again. Unfortunately, Mayuri noticed this. He looked down at him with mild interest. "Too much feeling too soon. I'll have to give you an overdose next time."

The two left the shaded tunnel and entered a lab area. Every way Ichigo looked, there were bottles, liquids, knives, tubes, computers, and monitors. He would never admit it, but all of these things stabbed fear straight through his heart. Who knew what the crazy scientist had in store for him?

He flexed his knee gently and was rewarded with a slap on the back of the head. "Stop that." Mayuri demanded. He stared at the mass of orange for a brief moment, but then he shook his head and proceeded down another corridor. "Kurosaki Ichigo, I had never planned on allowing others to know of your kind's existence, but that little Kuchiki couldn't keep her mouth shut. This means I will be making your torture more public. Surely there are people out there that would like to a see a sick murderer burn. Who am I kidding? I just wish to watch you suffer under the hate of all of your friends."

Ichigo tested his jaw and scowled. "Surely."

Captain Mayuri opened another door and Ichigo was led outside into the bright sunlight. If he could move his arms he would have covered his face, but the only thing he could do was hiss and snarl. "Temper." The captain warned.

He dragged him to a grassy clearing less than fifty feet from the main building. Around him were several poles stuck into the ground, tall, at least twenty feet, and everything was much too bright. The sun beat down on his face, burning his skin and turning him a light shade of pink. He twisted his head, desperately trying to hide his face. This had never happened before. Why was the sun so hot? Moreover, painful?

There was once again the clinking of chains after Ichigo's body was dropped onto the grass. He watched as Kurotsuchi grabbed an odd pair of handcuffs from a pile of items similar to it farther away. He juggled the hot metal in his hands, but calmed down and slapped it against his own knee. The only weird thing about it was that instead of the chains already being hooked up, they were separate so it looked like each cuff was just an odd bracelet with a dangling chain. They were hooked onto his wrists and he was dragged once more to the closest pole. Kurotsuchi linked up the two separate chains around the pole.

The captain looked down at Ichigo, who was trying his best just to wobble to his knees, and offered him a malicious smile. "Can you feel that too, Kurosaki… Ichigo?"

Ichigo looked up with eyebrows furrowed and one eye closed. Yes, he could feel this too. He hardly knew what was true about vampires and what was fake, but the only thing he could go off of right now was the silver rumor. It wasn't just the sun that was stinging, but also the cuffs and pole. They had to be silver. He ground his teeth together and stuck his chin out indignantly. Mayuri's smile only widened more. "Oh, I knew it." He said. "You _will_ be fun to break. Well, vampire, enjoy public suffering." And without another word he strode away back into the cold building.

By this time Ichigo was standing but still very weak. Every minute of this pain was slowly draining his energy from him, but that he'd had much to start with anyway. He glanced around; making sure no one was there. Fortunately no one was, so he gave the silver a yank. He hadn't expected it to do anything, but he still hoped. He yanked again and again, but to no avail. Nothing would budge. He bent down and started gnawing on one of the chain links. His fangs seemed to do the most, but even with all of that effort it didn't even put a dent in it. And yet he was persistent. At least he was up until the moment his mouth started smoking.

Ichigo gasped and spat, ridding his mouth of the cursed material. Sweating beaded his forehead and rolled down his cheeks and dripped off his chin. He ran his tongue over his fangs and slumped down to the ground. It was hot. Hot.

And to think this was just the beginning.


	6. Time

-le fidget fidget-

Um…. Hey guys. It's Sarah again. It's been a while, huh? So to be honest, for about a week I was thinking I'd probably just drop this story. But then shit went down, and I just didn't know what to do myself. So I locked myself in my room and I wrote and wrote, rewrote, crumpled papers and threw them at the wall. I drew my favorite future scenes. Then during Irene I finished my work. But I didn't get power 'til about another week. And THEN I was surprised from my parents with "we're getting divorced lololol." Bitch, no. This is not lololol. Then a few days later when I'm hanging out with my dad who has already moved out, I get a call from my mom's friend saying that my mom is in the hospital! SO I spent all day today there to visit her. I won't go into THAT one. But after much toiling, I have dragged out a shitty chapter. Once my mood improves I hope my writing does again, too.

So enjoy. Thanks for letting me vent. I don't own Bleach, or ANY of these characters except for Tyler, Celia, and Nabrina.

~.:/*\:.~

What really had just been a few minutes felt more like hours. The sun was blazing, hammering down on Ichigo's skin, turning it gray. It was cracked like concrete, and every time he moved a little bit of him fell off and crumpled into ash on the lush, green grass. He did everything he could to protect his face, turning it down and away, as well as flipping his lengthy hair to cover his back. Though it only helped a little, he was grateful for every inch of shade it provided.

Unlike what Mayuri had been preaching earlier, there was no one out here to gawk at him. In the back of his mind Ichigo was hoping his friends had decided to stay silent and protect his pride. "Hmph." Pride? Pride? What did that have to do with anything anymore? He'd already done shameful, inhuman, and unforgivable things. He barely had any pride left at all. What would be the right thing to call him? A dead man walking? Literally. Maybe. But those weren't really the words he was looking for.

A small cloud passed overhead, and he breathed a heavy sigh of relief, but the pain was back as quickly as it had disappeared. His skin was so dry, but nothing felt drier than his throat. It felt as if he had swallowed the Sahara and stored it away for days in his mouth. It was an odd comparison, but it was the only thing he could think of. To say he was thirsty was an understatement.

How much time had passed by now? Ten minutes? Fifteen? He bit the inside of his cheek and gently nibbled on it, afraid of breaking it and sending him into that crazy blood lust frenzy again. Ichigo leaned forward and touched the earth with his forehead. His back screamed in agony at the movement, but the coolness on his brow made it a little more bearable, if only a little bit.

Eventually, and he didn't notice when, he fell into a comatose like slumber. His eyelids fluttered for a few moments, then a power he was helpless to resist overcame his desire to stay awake and he closed his eyes and slept.

Sweet. Sweet. Sleep.

~.:/*\:.~

When he finally to, his red eyes opened to see a rough, stone floor, gradually getting darker. He blinked slowly, taking in his surroundings all at once. He was definitely moving, but not with his own two feet. Someone was obviously carrying Ichigo.

Immediately he tried squirming out of said persons grip, but they were much too strong. Or he was just weak. He twisted his eyes up to see the back of his carriers head. He could recognize it almost immediately. Lieutenant what's-her-face. The weird girl that was always at Mayuri's beck and call.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and became limp again. Undoubtedly, he was heading back to his own cell, for the empty dark prison was vacant and still growing darker. Eventually little torches began lining the walls.

"You know, I'm perfectly capable of walking." Was what he was going to day, but to his surprise, it was muffled and came out as a jumble of words he'd never heard before. It was clean Mayuri wasn't hear because of a lack of witty remarks. Ichigo huffed and tilted his head to the side, listening to the steady, rhythmic tap of shoes and his hair dragging on the filthy ground. For whatever reason, this didn't bother him much.

What really bothered him was having to listen to this woman's heartbeat. She was so close, but his mouth was too numb to even form the simplest of words. A snarl formed in his throat, but he mentally slapped himself for his action.

There was the tiniest squeak of his cell door opening before he was roughly tossed and locked in. It was good to know that his skin had healed to a decent extent, but being slammed onto stone didn't help him any either. He winced and sucked in a small breath of air, which automatically hit his parched throat and set him on edge.

Her footsteps rapidly faded down the hall and disappeared altogether. Ichigo arched his back, his body telling him he was going to throw up, but only bitter spittle and bile came out. Disgusting, but he couldn't be _that_ empty. Rising to a sitting position, Ichigo sighed and leaned his back against the wall, recoiling moments later when he felt more pain on his back.

"He buuurned youuu baaaad!" Celia's bright voice chimed.

"Seriously." Tyler agreed. "I can fucking smell it."

"I told you not to say that word, Tyler! It's bad! It's bad!"

Ichigo listened to the bickering pair, feeling the crushing weight of his situation getting heavier. Was this how his life would be from now on? Stuck in a cell, tortured, starving, and breathless? If only a friend was here. Actually, he didn't even know who to call a friend anymore. Everyone was looking down on him. But what about Rukia?

Rukia.

The last time he saw her was when she was bawling back at the park in Karakura Town. What had she been doing the while time Ichigo was here? "Tch." He clenched his fists and shook his head, as if that could shake away his questions and memories. He didn't even want to know.

That was a lie.

Eventually Tyler and Celia stopped their arguing and the dark corridor was quiet at last. No torchlight this deep. No flashlight. Nothing. Just the oddly comforting darkness.

"Hey! Ichigo! What time is it? Celia asked.

"Huh? How should I know?"

"You were just out there, derrrr…."

"I was only out for a few minutes. Give me a break."

There was a brief awkward silence before Celia started humming and Tyler voiced himself again. "I'm pretty sure it was more than that. Maybe a few hours?"

Ichigo shook his head again, forgetting for a split second that they couldn't see him. But a few hours? No way… though… after he'd closed his heavy eyes he couldn't remember anything. He must have fallen asleep.

"LAME! Laaaame!" Celia grumbled bitterly. "He doesn't know."

"Bah! Too bad. No big deal." Tyler murmured.

"Yeah… sorry." He apologized."

Tyler fidgeted and Ichigo could hear his rustling clothes as he settled himself onto the floor. "It doesn't even matter anyway." He yawned. "We have all… the God damned time… in the world."

Forever.


	7. Forget

Byakuya Kuchiki gently touched the face of his beloved, sister of Rukia, his fiancé, feeling the rough aging paint. He didn't want a painting. He wanted the real thing. He'd never shed a tear in front of anyone, but alone he would let them fall in mourning. But today was not the day for crying. His little sister Rukia needed him now more than ever. He didn't know how to deal with her crying, but they both blew of steam by training in the yard. It was simple enough.

It had now been a month since Ichigo's imprisonment. He wasn't told much of what went on in that crazy scientist's lab, but he couldn't help but wonder. That Mayuri was no ordinary shinigami.

He wiped away the tears that had slowly been welling in his eyes once he heard Rukia knocking on his door, as she had been doing for the past month, and he opened it with the same indifferent face he'd been wearing for years. But this time, unlike other times, she spoke. It was so immediate it took him a little by surprise.

"Brother… what's going on with Ichigo?"

A stupid question. "He's a vampire."

"I _know_ that already!" Her face twisted in pain. "But why? Why is it happening?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Why can't I tell anyone?"

Another stupid question. "Rukia." Byakuya's voice was stern. "This is the kind of thing that only the best of shinigamis are allowed to know and deal with. It is _out _of our hands now." She opened her mouth to protest but he went on before she could. "Forget him, Rukia. You will likely never see him again, but if you _do_ see him…" She leaned forward on her tip toes. "Avoid him. Remember. If you forget about him you can forget the urge to tell others. They're Captain Yamamoto's orders. Don't tell. Just forget. Now let's train."

Rukia was trembling with an unidentifiable emotion, but nodded her head and let him brush past her, following afterwards. She kept her eyes on her socks.

He was right. Just forget him.

She took her sandals and ground her heels into the dirt, pulling Sode no Shirayuki out of its scabbard. Forget about him. Byakuya drew out Senbonzakura and charged at her with a face as cold as her zanpakutou. Rukia flash stepped away and swung her sword to his side with a howl of rage, small tears taking form and leaking from her eyes.

Forget him! Her mind screamed.

Her own screams grew louder, and her heart allowed her to swallow her pride and roar. The force of his blade on hers sent her tears flying into the air.

Forget me! _His _voice was next.

Faltering, her grip on Shirayuki loosened, and Byakuya took this opportunity to lunge for her weak point, but she was back on her feet instantly to defend and retaliate. This is what he would want, right? It was for the best. Rukia steeled her will and ground her teeth together, feeling a new strength surge through her veins. Yes, this was right. Byakuya was right. Forget him. Forget him.

_Forget me!_

And her thoughts of him fell and disappeared with the last of her lonely tears.

~.:/*\:.~

Renji stared at the large facility where he'd helped Captain Kenpachi imprison Ichigo over a month prior to this visit. In all honesty, he was worried about the little strawberry. Trusting that he could handle himself was about the only thing he could do now, as no one other than authorized personal were allowed to visit.

The afternoon after they'd detained him Renji had tried to go in for a personal visit, but after stumbling upon the sight of a bound Ichigo, burned, _crumbling, _and passed out, he decided against it and went back to his own barracks to train. He didn't quite have the right words to describe his feelings at the time. Disturbed? That was putting it lightly.

The wind gently tossed his tied up hair, bring him back to the present. A week earlier, Rukia had been telling him it was best to forget about Ichigo, and in the back of his mind he had a gnawing feeling that she was probably right. There was nothing he could do anymore. His friend was now under the jurisdiction of another captain. A crazy, obsessive, mad scientist. Renji felt a bit of pity stab his heart, but whatever happened to Ichigo just wasn't his problem anymore. It was in the hands of his superiors now. Besides, if he hadn't been there at the time of the… murder, he wouldn't even know a damn thing about it and that really didn't sound too bad.

Not knowing… what a blessing.

He looked up at the sky dotted with brilliant white clouds and breathed in deeply. Ichigo wasn't his problem anymore, he told himself again. Besides, there was no way he could be friends with an out of control murderer. That was just the way it had to be whether he liked it out not, but he had his pride. A vampire… was beneath him.

Renji furrowed his oddly tattooed eyebrows and turned on his heel. He closed his eyes and released the breath he hadn't realized he was still holding. "I'm not sorry." He mumbled, taking his first and last willing step away from the facility that held… no one. No one he knew was in there.

"Ichigo."

No one.

.*~.:\*/:.~*.

I know this chapter was uber short and had no Ichigo _whatsoever._ It might be like that next chapter too, but after that we'll be getting right back on to Ichigo's tale. If you hadn't noticed, I did a time skip. It's been a month and a week since Ichigo was captured and burned. (Oh snap! O: ) Anyway, bear with me for a while and we'll get back to my sadistic torturing.

Oh snap! Again! That's the first time I've confessed to being a sadist. Ohoho. And this is why my friends don't know of my fanfic account. ._.


	8. Chapter 8

AUTHORS NOTE

So guys… this is what's happening. Unfortunately this story's being dropped.

I'm sorry if you liked it but I've totally lost interest and, reading back, this isn't all that great anyway. I have too much crap on my plate to deal with right now and Adjustments is hardly ever on my mind. Maybe someday I'll work out another story similar to this one, but Adjustments just makes me shudder.

Sorry to the readers who wanted updates.

Wishing you well, Hartanna.


	9. Adjustments is UN-DROPPED

Um. Heyo!

It's little Hartanna again. So… I've been thinking that maybe I don't really want to drop this story. Not really.

Adjustments is officially undropped!

However, reading back on the previous chapters really makes me cringe so I'm going to need some time to rewrite those, and honestly, some things might be changed. Like, Jesus _Christ _those battle scenes were horrendous. When I start re-posting I want you guys to critique my work like there's no tomorrow. I want you to be _absolutely brutal. _Hurt my feelings and tell me what sucks! I need to get better.

Keep an eye out for me, will you!? Thanks, guys!

** On a different note

Brace yourself for _The Hobbit _fangirling/spoilers.

Holy shit! Has anyone else seen The Hobbit yet? I've seen it three times already and I just love it! Thorin, Kili, and Fili are freaking beautiful! _And Thorin's voice. _Je. Sus. Christ. It's fucking magical. I love it when he screams, "Ori, no! Get back!" Thorin, you're a god!

Kili, Fili… what on earth were you two doing when the trolls were taking the ponies? You naughty boys, you! I don't even ship Durancest but it's so suspicious! Does anyone else just sit back and wish that J. R. R. Tolkien was still alive to watch these movies?

"We don't have parasites! You liar! _You_ have parasites!"

….

"I have parasites as big as my arm!"

"I have the biggest parasites!"


End file.
